Collectors and fans alike have a chance to own one-of-a-kind Star Wars art pieces while giving to a good cause with The Empire Muggs Back. Lucasfilm asked artists, comic book creators, toy designers, and celebrity fans armed with markers, paint brushes and glue guns to transform blank Mighty Muggs (donated by Hasbro) into custom Star Wars art which will be auctioned by The Make-A-Wish Foundation.
StarWars.com chats with artist Chris Trevas about his process for turning a blank Hasbro Mighty Muggs figure into a special tribute to Blue Snaggletooth.
What did you choose to do for your Mighty Muggs art piece?
The Mighty Muggs are such a simple and fun form I wanted to do a classic character that reminded me of my old action figures. I never had a Blue Snaggletooth, but I thought the classic rare figure would appeal to collectors. I've always liked the Cantina aliens and Snagg's cool '70s jumpsuit and silver moon boots give him a proper retro look.
Why did you want to participate in The Empire Muggs Back art project?
Vinyl toys have been very popular in recent years and I've wanted to try my hand at painting one. This was a perfect opportunity for a great charity!
What was your step-by-step process? What materials did you use?
I started out with a grey auto primer spray paint over the whole figure. I then masked off his head, feet and hands with blue painter's tape and newspaper. The blue suit was done with a high gloss enamel spray paint. I let the glossy paint dry for a good 24 hours and then painted his silver boots and belt buckle with spray paint as well. His hands and feet were brush painted with a flat tan enamel model paint. I then painted the details on his suit and boots with more model paint. The head and hands were finished with acrylic paints and then sprayed with a matte clear acrylic sealer.
What were some of the challenges you faced while making your art piece?
The biggest challenge was Snaggletooth's belt. I had some leftover ridged rubber material from the stormtrooper lightsaber I designed. It's commonly used for covering stairs and is the same type of stuff used around the midsection of the C-3PO costumes seen in the movies. From previous experience I knew contact cement was the only adhesive that works to bond rubber to plastic. The trick was figuring out how to make it fit the spherical body of a Mighty Mugg. After a lot of trial and error with paper templates I found that cutting the belt from a 7-inch diameter circle gave it the perfect curve to lie flat and straight around his waist. The buckle was a simple piece of plastic trimmed to shape and I cut the symbol from a tiny piece of chrome Mylar tape.
Why do you think Star Wars fans will love The Empire Muggs Back project?
I think they'll love the variety. With all the artistic styles and themes there's something to appeal to everyone. I can't wait to see them all together myself.
The Mighty Muggs art pieces are now up for auction and can be seen at The Empire Muggs Back on Starwars.com. The auction ends August 14, 2009.
Stay tuned to StarWars.com for in-depth coverage on The Empire Muggs Back.
